Monthly Archives: December 2009

Why Doesn't My Doctor Know This?: Conquering Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn's Disease and Colitis

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  • ISBN13: 9781600373169
  • Condition: NEW
  • Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Product Description
You’re miserable, your quality of life has changed, your medications don’t help and your doctor had the nerve to tell you that diet has nothing to do with your condition. …but you know better! You can conquer these symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease and any form of Colitis: Gas, Bloating, Indigestion, Heartburn, Reflux, GERD, Diarrhea, Constipation, Alternating Diarrhea/Constipation, Abnormal Bowel Urgency, Abnormal Bowel Frequency, Pain, Spasms… More >>

Why Doesn’t My Doctor Know This?: Conquering Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn’s Disease and Colitis

Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: Everything You Need to Know

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Product Description
Includes the most recent medical research. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) includes two chronic conditions known as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. This has remained for too long the secret illness that no one wants to discuss. Although up to 1,000 per 100,000 North Americans have IBD, no one is completely sure what causes it, and there is no known cure. Dr. Fred Saibil, a renowned expert on IBD, provides concise, up-to-date information on common cond… More >>

Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: Everything You Need to Know

How To Get Started With Homeopathy Crohns Relief

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Choosing Crohn’s-friendly foods isn’t the only way a sufferer can improve their condition, other treatments such as homeopathy crohns relief may also be beneficial for some. Homeopathy is a unique type of remedy that treats the person as a whole. Therefore, the type of remedy that is prescribed is based on a person’s mental and physical wellbeing. The treatments administered focus on ridding the person of their specific problems. Thus, no two people will be provided with the same treatments.
In order to receive proper homeopathy crohns treatment, you will need to visit a qualified homeopath to have your condition properly accessed. That being said, the following are five examples of homeopathic treatments you may be prescribed based on your symptoms:
Note: The vast majority of homeopathy treatments are derived from natural substances that come from minerals, plants and animals. A remedy is made by diluting the natural substance through a specific process without destroying its healing properties. Most remedies are extremely diluted, taken orally, and are available in tablet, pellet or liquid forms.
Argentum nitricum: This homeopathic crohns remedy is administered to those who suffer from an upset digestive system that is also accompanied by nervousness and/or anxiety. Such a person often experiences symptoms of nausea, bloating, tummy rumbling, flatulence and sudden, intense diarrhea with a greenish hue. Diarrhea may suddenly occur after eating excessive salty or sweet foods or directly after ingesting water. In addition, a person prescribed this treatment is also likely to be impulsive, expressive, and suffer from claustrophobia issues.
Asafetida: This homeopathy crohns substance is given to those who feel as if their entire digestive tract is constricted. The individual may feel as though they have a lump moving upwards from the stomach or have a bubble in their throat. Their abdomen generally feels inflated; however, the person has difficulty passing gas for relief. This person likely has painful bouts of constipation, explosive cases of diarrhea, and possibly regurgitates small amounts of food. This individual may have strong emotions and is quick to become worked up.
Colocynthis: An individual who is experiencing sharp pains and cramping in their abdomen or pubic bone that urges them to bend double or lie down is often prescribed this homeopathy crohns. The pain that is experienced usually worsens before diarrhea passes, after drinking water or eating fruit. Many of these symptoms are also triggered by emotions, especially anger.
Lilium tigrinum: This is usually administered to a person who is constipated throughout the day but is plagued with sudden diarrhea the next morning. This person tends to feel as if there is a lump in their rectum that feels worse when they stand. This person may develop haemorrhoids, and experience tightening in their chest. The symptoms are often triggered by strong emotions, and excitement that often accelerates into feelings of irritability or rage.
Podophyllum: This remedy for homeopathy crohns is often prescribed to those who suffer from abdominal pain and cramping, and have a sinking, empty feeling in their gut that is followed by very loose, and watery, foul-smelling diarrhea. The person may also experience constipation or bowel movements that feature pasty, yellow stool with mucus. This individual tends to feel worse in the early hours of morning and later feel weak, faint or headachy afterwards. An individual who suffers from these symptoms may also experience stiff joints and muscles.
Homeopathy crohns is generally safe when administered by a professional, especially remedies that have been extremely diluted. However, it is not uncommon for a person to feel worse during treatment. This usually only occurs for a brief period and is usually not uncommon. However, extreme or prolonged side effects such as worsening or no relief from symptoms should be brought to the attention of your health care provider.
Although homeopathy may be an ideal complimentary form of treatment for Crohn’s, it should not replace a doctor’s advice. In addition, if you have a serious case of Crohn’s with persistent symptoms, you may require medical aid for relief and to get the condition under control. Therefore, make sure you consult your health care provider about homeopathy crohns treatments before you begin.

Ensuring Adequate Nutrition From Your Crohns Diet

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Following a specific crohns diet is one of the best self healing remedies you can implement in your lifestyle. The reason is because without proper nutrition a crohn’s sufferer puts themselves at greater risk of malnutrition. Malnutrition is a problem for many people with crohn’s, as it is estimated that as many as 80 percent of people with the disease experience considerable weight loss.
There are many factors that may cause malnutrition in a crohn’s sufferer. Malnutrition may occur from -
- Excessive diarrhea
- Difficulty eating due to gastrointestinal discomfort, pain, nausea and diarrhea
- Badly damaged bowel
- Bowel shortened by surgery can prevent the absorption and digestion of sufficient nutrients.
- Certain medications may reduce the body’s stores of some vitamins and nutrients.
Thus, it is imperative that adequate nutrition is absorbed through the right crohns diet to prevent malabsorption.
What is malabsorption? Malabsorption is when the body does not effectively absorb nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins, fat, sugar, etc.) from ingested food. In order for the body to absorb the nutrients from food, the pancreas, liver, bile ducts, and the lining of the small intestine need to be functioning properly. It is through the small intestine that nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream. That is why in most cases, the impairment of food digestion primarily occurs in the small intestine.
The symptoms of malabsorption include: diarrhea, weight loss, dehydration, fatigue, bloating, abdominal pain, skin changes, oily stool and undigested food in stool.
Malabsorption can result in malnutrition, if the body does not receive the sufficient amount of nutrients it requires. Malnutrition is a serious condition that can lead to total parenteral nutrition (nutrition provided intravenously) if not taken care of by a crohns diet.
To ensure their diet contains adequate nutrients, a crohn’s suffer needs to make certain that their diet consist of -
- Lots of hydrating fluids (approximately 10 glasses per day), especially water. Certain herbal teas (I.E. mint, ginger, etc.) may also be added. These fluids help to prevent constipation.
- Eat fiber – When you are not suffering symptoms, make sure your crohns diet is rich in insoluble fiber such as bran, apple, raw vegetables, brown rice, wholegrain bread, etc. However, if you are experiencing crohn’s symptoms or you are prone to diarrhea, focus your diet more on soluble fiber such as the flesh of fruit, oatmeal, soda crackers, cooked vegetables, etc.
- Avoid dairy if you are lactose intolerant. If you suffer from lactose intolerance, your body can not properly absorb milk sugar which can lead to symptoms such as gas, bloating and diarrhea.
- Eat a crohns diet rich in protein – Fish, eggs, beans, nuts, lean meats, etc.
- Lower your intake of caffeine, alcohol, fats and sugars (especially sorbitol – a type of sweetener) as these foods are known to trigger diarrhea.
Essentially, the key to avoiding malnutrition is to eliminate foods in your diet that trigger or worsen symptoms (particularly severe diarrhea), and introduce other “safe” foods that contain the nutrients your body needs that it cannot obtain from the foods that have been eliminated from your crohn’s diet.

Prednisone as a Crohns Treatment

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Long term usuage or high doses can lead to many side effects including weight gain, mood swings, increased hair growth, bone density loss, facial mooning, acne, night sweats, headaches, lower resistance to infections, increased eye pressure, depression, and many more too numerous to mention. Each of these can have profound psychological effects on patients who have no choice but to take prednisone for their inflammatory bowel disease.

Mood swings and depression are especially damaging to a patient with inflammatory bowel disease. Depression further alienates the patient who may already feel very much alone due to the illness which may affect treatment or the patient’s ability to get and remain on a treatment program. Mood swings can have devastating effects such as increased anger taken out unknowingly upon friends and loved ones at a time when a Crohn’s patient needs all the support available.

Bone density loss can lead to brittle bones subject to breaking more easily if not caught early or by using preventative measures such as taking calcium with vitamin D supplements. If not detected early, drugs like fosamax which help the body absorb calcium may be necessary. What young man or woman wants to worry about bones breaking?

Increased facial hair can have negative ramifications for women while acne can also damage the psyche in those who are prescribed prednisone. Prednisone users also must be wary of infections as the medication lowers the body’s resistance. Vigilant monitoring is necessary or a seemingly simple infection could lead to dire consequences.

Other side effects affecting the skin include thinning of the skin and the body bruising more easily. Many patients get large bruises on their body and have no idea how it happened. Prednisone can also lead to an increase in the eye pressure which may cause eye damage. Drugs like trusopt can help control eye pressure but this is just one more worry and drug to take for the patient.

About Botanical Crohns Treatments – Are They Suitable?

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When first diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, most people want to know each and every treatment that is available for consideration. There are various drugs your doctor might recommend, and there are surgical procedures that you may have to have. A patient can be left wondering what will work best for them, and the answer can only be found through trial and error. Some patients want to go with the traditional methods given to them by their doctor, while others wonder if botanical Crohns treatments might be right for them.
There are times when drugs simply won’t agree with you. You may find that they do not work well, or they have additional side effects that are unbearable. It will be up to you if you want to continue to take them. Crohn’s disease presents differently for each person, and that means how you feel each day will not be the same as the next person. The severity of your symptoms might help you make this decision. Some want to turn to botanical means to help alleviate their symptoms, and this works well for many people. For those who wish to avoid prescription drugs, it can be a successful approach.
Though many try botanical Crohns remedies, you should be aware that they don’t work for everyone. There is also a danger of these herbs having a violent reaction with drugs you get from the pharmacy or are prescribed, and that can mean very serious physical reactions that might make you very sick. You should always talk with your physician when you want to try any natural remedies while taking prescription medications to avoid such reactions. You might think that something labeled natural will always be safe, but this is not always the case.
Once you have talked to your doctor, and they have cleared to you to try botanical methods for symptom relief, you can try a few different herbs. You may find that peppermint soothes your stomach. This is something that many restaurants already know, and offer a peppermint treat on your way out the door. You can also drink chamomile or green tea to see if they help to reduce and calm the inflammation. Other common herbs used are cranesbill, aloe vera juice, licorice, slippery elm bark, and/or witch hazel. Remember to check into each one with thorough research before you start taking them.
When it comes to using botanical Crohns treatments, remember to use your head. You should write down what you are taking, when you are taking it, and how much you have ingested. Keep your physician up to date with everything. You want to be careful where you buy your herbs, as some sources are more pure than others. These types of products are not as carefully regulated as the drugs you get from your pharmacy, and if you take something that is not up to scratch you might not get the results you are looking for during treatment. When starting a natural herbal regime, give it a few weeks and see how you feel, and remember, never use botanical crohns treatments without consulting with your doctor first.

Is Homeopathy Crohns Treatment For You?

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In a quest to feel better and to regain some semblance of a normal life, some Crohn’s patients look to alternative medicine to help them cope. This approach works great for some, but others don’t notice much of a difference. If you are struggling with immense amounts of pain, and you think that there has to be a better way, you can try homeopathy Crohns treatments to see if they will work for you.
There are medications and diet alterations that a Crohn’s patient can try, but sometimes this is just not enough. If you have questions, you can talk to your doctor about trying an alternative method for relief, such as homeopathy crohns treatments.
If you decide to go ahead and make an appointment with a homeopathic practitioner, one of the first things you will have to do when you seek homeopathy treatments is give a detailed account of your life.
This might sound daunting, but it is very necessary. You will need to be prepared to go into detail about your emotional and mental state, and also your diet habits and lifestyle choices. These details might seem a little intrusive and unrelated to your crohn’s disease, but it is all information that is needed to plan your treatment. The idea behind homeopathic treatments is to look at the body and mind as a whole and treat ailments in that way, rather than focusing on just one or two elements. You will also have to give a detailed account of your disease, and talk about your symptoms in a very personal way.
You cannot go into homeopathy Crohns treatments thinking you are going to find a cure. There is no known cure for this condition, and if someone offers you that, you might want to find someone else. You can, however, expect to get some relief from some of your more troubling symptoms.
This type of treatment focuses on your overall health as opposed to just targeting your symptoms. It attempts to boost your own natural healing abilities. It also focuses on balancing your emotions and your mental outlook on the theory that this can help improve your situation. There will be things done to relieve your symptoms, but you should know it is a more involved therapy.
In most cases, homeopathy Crohns treatments are going to involve you taking natural plants to help with the symptoms that bother you the most. When you are considering these treatments, don’t be afraid to say that you don’t know what they are, and to ask for more information. Everything should be spelled out for you, and if someone is not good at answering your questions, you might want to see someone else.
When it comes to what you are putting into your body, it is essential that you be at ease with what is going on, and what you are ingesting. You may also want to do some additional research online.
No matter what remedies you try, you should always keep the lines of communication open with your medical doctor. They need to know what is going on, and should be aware of what you are taking. There are some plants involved with homeopathy Crohns treatment that might cause problems with your prescriptions, if you are taking any, and you want to make sure that does not happen.
You should never ditch your doctor to try something new. You should be able to talk to your physician about anything you want to try. If you find your doctor is not open to accepting your choice of following homeopathy crohns treatments, you do have the option to find a doctor that is more accepting, but you should never be without someone to watch over your medical situation.

Various Options for Crohn's Disease

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There are various treatment options for Crohn’s disease that include drugs, surgery, nutrition supplements or even a combination of these three options. Treatment for Crohn’s disease concentrates on controlling inflammation; relieve abdominal pain, rectal breeding and diarrhea and correcting nutritional deficiencies. The choice for treatment of Crohn’s disease depends on the location and severity of the disease, its complications and the patient’s response to previous medical treatments.By treating Crohn’s disease, it is possible to reduce and eliminate the inflammation associated with the disease. Aminosalicylates are effective in reducing the inflammation of the digestive tract lining. The active component of this drug is 5-aminosalicylic acid and is a common treatment for inflammatory bowel disease. It can be taken orally or rectally as an enema or suppository.

If 5-ASA is found to be ineffective, then corticosteroids are used to control the inflammation of Crohn’s disease. It is taken orally, intravenously or as an enema or suppository. However its continuous use leads to side effects like high blood pressure, diabetes and osteoporosis. There may also be some fluid retention that leads to a swollen appearance of the face. However a new formulation of steroids, budesonide, has fewer side effects as there is less of blood absorption.The antibodies that are created by Crohn’s disease that attack the intestinal lining to cause inflammation in the intestinal lining, is suppressed using immunosuppressants. These drugs are taken orally, where results will not be seen for some weeks and months. This medicine creates side effects like nausea, diarrhea, infections and vomiting.Antidiarrheals are used to relieve chronic diarrhea while laxatives are used when there is a partial intestinal obstruction that leads to constipation.

However laxatives are not effective in completely treating intestinal obstruction. Though acetaminophen can be used to relieve pain due to Crohn’s disease, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen are not advised as only they tend to intensify symptoms.

Anemia that arises from Crohn’s disease is treated using iron supplements and vitamin B-12 injections. Sometimes antibiotics are use to treat infections from fistulas or surgery in the intestine. Surgery may be resorted to when there is an intestinal obstruction or when medications don’t prove successful in controlling Crohn’s disease. In fact, 70 percent of sufferers from Crohn’s disease need surgery at a point in their lives as the inflammations and ulcers that arise from Crohn’s disease go deep into the intestinal tissue.Surgery options for patients of Crohn’s disease include strictureplasty where narrowed areas of the digestive tract are widened. With bowel resection the diseased part of the intestine is removed. This may include a partial colectomy or ostomy to permit the passing of stools from the body. Infectious material is removed by draining abscesses.

With surgery, the symptoms of Crohn’s disease may disappear for some years. However there is a chance of the recurrence of symptoms which may lead to the patient undergoing another and subsequent operations. The recurrence of the symptoms is more common in patients with severe Crohn’s disease and in those where its symptoms occur outside the colon. However, using medications after the surgery may lead to a reduction in the recurrence of the symptoms.

What Is Triggering Your Crohns Symptoms?

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Those with Crohn’s disease know how blissful a period of remission feels, and how they will do anything to avoid activities or actions that might trigger inflammation and a return of unwanted crohn s symptoms.
Almost all of the Crohn s symptoms you might have are due to this inflammation. If that can be avoided, you may see a reduction in the number of flare-ups that you have to endure. Most of this inflammation occurs within in the intestines, and that might lead you to believe that the foods you eat are triggers. This is only partly true. Though none of these triggers are proven, there are many who believe them to be true. Research is ongoing.
One commonly held belief is that bacteria can cause a flare up of inflammation. There is always bacteria in the digestive system, as many actually aid in digestion of foods and liquids. However, there are some foods that create excess bacteria when they are digested, and milk is one that is said to be a trigger. When people who are lactose intolerant ingest milk the bacteria produced can be overabundant. However, it is thought that it only takes one initial contact with the excess bacteria to cause a reaction, and even if you remove that trigger, reactions can still occur later down the road.
Stress is another trigger that a lot of sufferers regard as one of their biggest problems. There is no scientific evidence to back that up, but many swear it. However, it is not a cause of Crohn’s as many believe, but reducing stress can help reduce flare-ups of Crohn’s symptoms.
There has been research that suggests stress can lower the body’s immunity. You may already know that Crohn’s is an autoimmune disease, so it makes sense that stress could be a trigger. It would also make sense that you should learn to reduce your stresses, and find ways to cope when things are out of hand. Breathing techniques might be great tools for when you are feeling overwhelmed with stress.
There are other items that we ingest that might trigger the inflammation that causes symptoms. Some believe that both antibiotics and NSAIDs are common problems. Antibiotics are often needed to treat infections, and that makes them hard to avoid. NSAIDs like ibuprofen are easier to avoid if they are triggers for you. One of the most agreed upon environmental triggers is smoking. If you smoke, you should quit. You should also avoid being in an enclosed area with someone who smokes so you aren’t getting it second hand.
Though these triggers are not completely accepted, many believe they are big problems. There is also research that indicates there may be a defective gene that can trigger Crohn’s in some people. This has been reported on the Mayo Clinic’s website, and even though the research is on going, they say this is a promising sign in the search for a cure.
If you think your Crohn s symptoms are being triggered by certain things, you should eliminate those items or actions from your life to see if improvements are made to your symptoms.

Relieve Crohns Symptoms With Hypnosis

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Herbal teas may be an ideal way for you to relieve crohns symptom. However, not everyone responds well to the same treatment. Therefore, other crohn’s sufferers may find additional alternative or complimentary therapy such as hypnosis will work better at relieving and controlling symptoms.
What is hypnosis? Hypnosis is a form of mind/body therapy that involves putting a person into an altered state of awareness or trance. In their trance-like state, a person under hypnosis becomes completely relaxed and can tap into their subconscious. With a person’s subconscious under his/her control, a hypnotist can teach this person how to control their mind at his/her own will under hypnosis.
Therefore, contrary to popular belief, a person under hypnosis is in complete control of their mind, and can use this special state of awareness to positively affect their bodily functions and psychological responses to overcome their crohns symptom.
How is hypnosis performed? During a hypnosis session, a qualified hypnotist (often a psychiatrist or psychotherapist) will have the patient relax and focus their eyes on something specific. The patient will then be instructed to listen to the hypnotist’s voice. The hypnotist will provide the patient will further suggestions to achieve a deeper relaxed state.
While hypnotized, the patient may be given positive suggestions, introduced to simple tests (I.E. imagining a specific object), guided imagery, or sounds to help alleviate crohn’s symptom. That being said, the first hypnosis sessions are usually focused on having the patient become familiar with the hypnotic state. Other therapy is usually added later.
Hypnosis sessions are finished by returning the patient to their regular state of awareness, and providing them with post-hypnotic suggestions to help reinforce the new attitudes and perceptions that were introduced and created during treatment.
How does hypnosis work? When a person is placed in a state of hypnosis their body is totally relaxed. Their blood pressure and heart rate decreases and specific types of brain wave activity are altered. While in this heightened relaxed state, a person will feel physically stress free and mentally alert, making them extremely responsive to suggestion, and more likely to change their perception on their condition.
As far as hypnosis is concerned, it is believed that the way our mind responds to physical or emotional events is based on the way we remember how we initially responded to them. These original memories stored in the brain are comprised of the primary emotional and physical reactions we encountered when the memory was first created. Therefore, every time a similar situation occurs, we repeat the same emotional and physical reactions that are linked to the initial memory. In many cases, such as in the case of crohn’s, these memories are typically negative and unhealthy.
Thus, the goal of hypnosis treatment is to have a patient remember certain events that led to their first experience of crohns symptom, and separate this memory from behavior that has been learned, so that positive associations can be linked to the original event.
How does hypnosis help crohn’s sufferers? Hypnosis has been used for years as a method for treating people who suffer from digestive disorders and are unresponsive to conventional medical treatment. Studies involving hypnosis as a treatment for crohn’s revealed some sufferers found relief from:
• Digestive upset – Constipation and diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Delay in the secretion of gastric acid
• Delay in colonic motility
• Stress
• Nervousness
• Anxiety
Keep in mind that you will need to attend a number of hypnosis sessions in order to obtain the benefits of this therapy for crohns symptom. Moreover, you should only be treated by a qualified and trained hypnotist. Therefore, make sure you speak to your healthcare provider before seeking this treatment, to obtain further recommendations.